Chapter 2 — Sixty Seconds
The cathedral turned into noise.
I crouched by the body.
"Your Highness. Stay back."
"The assassin isn't here," I said.
"How do you know?"
"The needle entered from the front. No blood under him. He was dead before the needle."
The knight stared.
I ignored him.
43 seconds.
I pried open his hand. Black paper. One word:
LEON.
I looked at my father. "Who sent him to investigate my birth?"
His expression didn't change.
But his pulse did.
Fear. For 0.2 seconds.
"Enough," he said. "Take Leon to prison. For his protection."
Lie.
31 seconds.
No wounds. No poison. No magic.
Then I saw it. A rune on the needle. Teleportation.
He planted it himself.
"He killed himself," I said.
"Impossible."
"He knew what I am. And someone forced him to die before he could speak."
10 seconds.
I looked at my father. He wasn't surprised.
"You knew."
5 seconds.
3
[Correct.]
2
[Hidden Talent activated.]
The corpse dissolved into black light. Entered my chest.
Pain.
[Talent inherited.]
[Celestial Sight - A Rank]
Observe structures. Predict probability. See what's hidden.
Another window.
[Special Ability: You may inherit Talents from the dead.]
[Requirement: Correctly understand cause of death.]
[Warning: Fail, and you inherit the consequences.]
I stood.
"Your Majesty. I'll go quietly."
For 16 years I was worthless.
Now I had a weapon.
And no one knew.
The doors exploded.
BOOM.
A woman in black armor. Crimson eyes. Horns.
She looked past the king. Past the knights.
At me.
"Leon Ardent."
"I've come to take you to the Demon King."
She drew her sword.
"Refuse, and I'll bring him your corpse."
>[New Main Quest: SURVIVE THE DEMON KING'S FIRST ASSASSIN.]
Reward: Unknown. Failure: Death.
I looked at her.
"If you die here, can I take your Talent too?"